Field Level Media
Jun 14, 2018
Evan Gattis hit two home runs and equaled his personal best set one day earlier with five RBIs, sending the Houston Astros to an 13-5 thumping of the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night in Oakland, Calif.
Carlos Correa lashed a two-run triple, then scored on Yuli Gurriel's single before Gattis and Marwin Gonzalez hit back-to-back homers in a seven-run second inning. The outburst sent Oakland starter Paul Blackburn (1-1) to the showers and sent the Astros on their way to a seventh consecutive win.
Right-hander Gerrit Cole (8-1) benefitted from Houston's 14-hit attack, winning his sixth consecutive decision. The California native improved to 10-2 when pitching in his home state by going six innings and allowing four runs and six hits. He walked two and struck out six.
Cole ran his overall career record to 15-6 against the five California teams.
Gattis, who had recorded four RBIs nine times before reaching five Tuesday in Houston's 6-3 win over the A's, hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning Wednesday, a three-run homer in the second and a solo shot in the seventh.
Gurriel had a two-run single in a three-run first inning for the Astros before the visitors broke the game wide open in the second.
Jake Marisnick doubled to open the second, and after Jose Altuve walked, they both scored on Correa's triple.
Gurriel made it 6-0 with an RBI single, after which Josh Reddick singled to spell the end of Blackburn's night.
The right-hander, who had been 2-0 at home in his career, was charged with eight runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings. He walked two and did not strike out anyone.
Gattis then belted reliever Emilio Pagan's third pitch for his three-run homer to make it 9-0.
Five pitches later, Gonzalez smacked his fifth homer of the season to complete the seven-run inning.
Gattis' second homer of the night, his 13th of the season, and a two-run, ninth-inning shot by Marisnick, his fifth of the season, completed Houston's scoring.
The Astros have scored 50 runs during their seven-game winning streak.
Stephen Piscotty launched a three-run home run and Khris Davis added a pair of solo shots for the A's, accounting for all the Oakland runs and three of its seven hits.
Gurriel had three hits and drove in three runs for the Astros, who improved to 6-0 on their 10-game trip and 7-1 against Oakland this season.
Gattis, Correa, Altuve and Marisnick all scored twice for Houston, while Correa and Marisnick each totaled two RBIs.
Davis, whose homers were his 18th and 19th of the year, had three hits and scored three times for the A's, who fell to 18-18 at home this season.
--Field Level Media